Chapter 43 (Three-in-One) There seems to be something at the door...

Wen Chu was lying in the bathroom playing with bubbles. Her hair and body were covered in white foam, and there was a relaxing aromatherapy diffuser burning beside her. Her phone was tossed on the sofa. She was completely at ease.

After a satisfying meal, her blood sugar spiked, giving her plenty of energy and a clearer mind. She felt like she could forgive the whole world. She didn't even know where her anger from that afternoon had come from; she knew from the start that the other person was sharp-tongued and forgetful. If she continued to act impulsively like this, how could she possibly complete her tasks?

So she planned to send a message after showering to ask if they were going out the next day. If they hadn't decided where to go, she'd go to the beach to watch the sunrise, then walk along the beach, have some chilled wine, and collect a couple of seashells as souvenirs, all until the sun rose.

She got up and stepped out of the bathtub, drained the water, and planned to rinse off the soap from her body and head with a shower. But as soon as she turned on the valve, all the lights in the bathroom and the room went out instantly.

!!

? ? ?

Wen Chu's heart sank heavily. The sudden darkness sent shivers down her spine, giving her goosebumps. She froze on the spot, barely daring to breathe. After several seconds, once her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, she asked the system in a trembling voice, "What's going on? What's going on? Can something as mundane as a water or power outage really happen in this world? Isn't that a bit ridiculous?"

The system only replied: "The sudden event conforms to the probability trend."

Hearing voices in her mind calmed Wen Chu down a little, but only a little: "What a terrible day! I feel like you're messing with me. I only slacked off for half a day and one night, and this is how you treat me?" Wen Chu said irritably to the air.

The system fell silent.

Wen Chu swallowed hard, grabbed a towel from the counter in the dark, dried herself, and then hastily put on her pajamas before staggering out of the bathroom. The entire house was pitch black. She walked to the bed and pulled back the curtains, trying to let in the moonlight, but the weather was also very uncooperative tonight. Dark clouds obscured the moon, making it almost invisible and doing nothing to improve her situation.

She fumbled around on the sofa for ages before finally finding her phone. Her heart rate had already spiked to 120 due to her overactive imagination. The phone's pale light shone on her face, making the quiet, silent room seem even more eerie, as if ghosts could lurk everywhere.

She quickly turned on her flashlight, and just as she was dispelling the darkness, she suddenly heard the doorbell ring downstairs.

It was already past nine o'clock, and it was completely dark outside. Wen Chu couldn't understand who would be looking for her at this hour. Suddenly, the window shook, startling her. She turned around sharply and realized it was just the wind.

Her mind was already racing with all sorts of wild thoughts: murders, burglaries, even ghosts and monsters. She tried to pretend she couldn't hear it, but the doorbell rang again. It wouldn't stop ringing, as if it would keep ringing until she opened it.

Looking at herself with a bunch of foam on her head, Wen Chu was a little worried that something might happen. She was very safety-conscious, and it was possible that the system was messing with her. After all, one bad thing after another had happened today, and the system had mentioned before that there were dangers in this world.

She bit her nail, cherished the phone in her hand, and slowly went downstairs.

Because of the power outage, the security camera at the door was not working. She didn't know who was standing outside and dared not answer rashly, for fear that the person outside would know that someone was home.

In the end, Wen Chu decided to text the only person she could remember, "There's a lunatic knocking on my door at this hour. I don't know if he's a criminal. If I don't reply to you in ten minutes, remember to call the police for me. I'm about to open the door for him QWQ."

Lu Ming, who was standing at the door receiving the text message, twitched the corner of his mouth.

After sending the message, Wen Chu realized, what if this guy didn't see it in time? What if he only saw it after she was already dead? Wouldn't that be too late?

As she was thinking this, there was another knock on the door. This time it wasn't the doorbell; the person outside seemed to have run out of patience and was about to break down the door.

Wen Chu was terrified. Just as she was about to ask who it was, the person at the door answered without her asking, their voice cold and clear: "Open the door, it's me. You're the one who's crazy."

Wen Chu was stunned. "Lu Ming?" She opened the door blankly, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was indeed Lu Ming standing in the doorway. Then she said angrily, "Are you out of your mind? Didn't you know to send me a text message first? You scared me so much I had a heart attack! Can you take responsibility for that?!"

Lu Ming narrowed his eyes and said irritably, "How do you know I didn't send it to you?"

"You posted a message?" Wen Chu said irritably, looking down at her social media app. She scrolled up in the chat window and found that it was indeed there.

Wen Chu: "..." They actually made money.

Forty minutes ago.

Boyfriend: [Where do you want to go tomorrow?]

Twenty minutes ago.

Boyfriend: [Don't you want your clothes anymore?]

She was just too flustered and swiped away the lock screen notification without seeing it clearly. She also didn't notice the information on it when she clicked to send a text message.

"Don't you have any manners?" Lu Ming said irritably.

"People who don't start cursing when they're frightened are already considered highly civilized, okay!" Wen Chu still didn't think she had done anything wrong. After saying that, she glanced at the bag Lu Ming was carrying. "Why are you knocking on my door so late? Do you have ulterior motives?"

"Don't worry, I have absolutely no feelings for you." Lu Ming handed her the bag and said expressionlessly, "My home and my company are not your wardrobe. Remember to take your clothes with you."

He glanced around the room; it was pitch black. His gaze then fell on the woman's disheveled hair and wet body. Puzzled, he asked, "What kind of fetish is this? You never turn on a single light in the house; you can't stand the light?"

Wen Chu's anger, which had finally subsided, flared up again. The system was bullying her, and now this person was joining in, refusing to say a single kind word. She really didn't know what she had been working so diligently for all these days.

She snatched the bag from her hand, suppressing her anger, and said, "Can't you tell there's a power outage? Otherwise, would I have come over like this to open the door for you?" She gestured with her hands to indicate her whole body, as if she was about to say something, but a gust of wind blew by, making her nose itch and causing her to sneeze.

Lu Ming frowned for a moment as he looked at her.

Wen Chu sniffed twice and asked, "What, your water and electricity haven't been cut off?"

Lu Ming turned his head and saw that the lights in his living room and on the second floor were on. He replied, "No."

Damn! This must be the system's doing! What does that mean, sending her to Lu Ming's house?

Wen Chu suddenly felt a rebellious streak. Fine, fine, they know she's afraid of ghosts, so they'll use a power outage to deal with her. Do they think they can threaten her like that? It's just a power outage, what's there to be afraid of? She's not going anywhere, she's just that tough.

"Oh, you're so lucky," Wen Chu said sarcastically. "You came all this way just to return my clothes?"

Lu Ming glanced at his watch: "Nine twenty-one. You usually don't get to sleep until eleven. Is this time late for you?"

"Can't I suddenly want to go to bed early?"

"Obviously you don't."

Wen Chu was too tired to argue with him anymore. It was windy tonight, and she felt cold standing at the door. She sneezed, sneezing, and said, "I've taken the clothes. It's nothing else. I'm closing the door."

She turned to the side to close the door, but suddenly Lu Ming blocked the door with his hand.

Wen Chu stopped closing the door: "Is there anything else?"

"How are you going to sleep if your power goes out?"

"My power is out, not that my bed was stolen, so why can't I sleep?"

"It's been fifteen minutes, and your power still isn't back on. That means it won't be back on anytime soon, and it might be out all night. Do you want to sleep in a room without air conditioning with a head full of foam and wet hair?"

Wen Chu turned her head away and scoffed, "Then where do you think I should go? How about I make do with a park bench nearby for the night?"

Lu Ming frowned. Usually, if he said that, the other person would have already squeezed into his house. He paused for two seconds and finally said, "I'll allow you to stay at my house for one night."

Wen Chu thought that this person had actually had a change of heart, but it was useless. She was determined to fight the system today and didn't want to give in to its wishes. She said with a cold face and a self-deprecating smile, "Forget it. You can't even tolerate my clothes, how can you tolerate me? I'm afraid my feet will dirty your floor, and you'll give me a cold shoulder again. After all, I'm not as good as Wen Xue and don't have as many privileges. Didn't you tell me to be self-aware? Now I am."

The system suddenly announced: "Warning, host is severely out of character (OOC). Please rectify immediately!"

Wen Chu nearly vomited blood. System, if you had a physical body, I would tear you to pieces! Throw you into a grinder, chop you into powder, and flush you down the toilet!

"You..." Lu Ming's expression changed repeatedly upon hearing her words. Both were lost in their own thoughts, and they remained locked in a tense standoff at the doorway for a while. Wen Chu's left and right brains battled internally, trying to decide whether or not to succumb to her tyranny. She was both brave and a little cowardly.

"I..." Wen Chu was about to speak when her eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

She touched it in a daze, feeling the warm tears, and then saw astonishment in Lu Ming's eyes.

Damn it! Who would want to shed tears like a pitiful fool in front of this bastard?! She hurriedly wiped her eyes, but the tears just wouldn't stop, falling like pearls from a broken string. This angered her so much that her initial hesitation was now completely resolved; she was determined to stand her ground to the end!

Why can't she go on strike just because she's in a bad mood today? Don't she have human rights? Did she break some cardinal rule or something, to be controlled and forced to seduce men in this awful world?

Why does she have to chase after him all the time? Why can't they arrange for a handsome guy to pursue her? Let this jerk experience what it's like to be compared, ignored, and have someone steal his girlfriend!

The more Wen Chu thought about it, the angrier she became, and the stronger her rebellious spirit against the system grew. Without saying a word, she turned around and walked into the house. She wanted to see what the system could do to her if she didn't leave the house today. But as soon as she finished thinking, she tripped over something and fell heavily to the ground. Her knees thudded with a sharp pain.

Lu Ming quickly reached out but failed to grab her.

Wen Chu frowned immediately, gritting her teeth to keep quiet, feeling extremely embarrassed. Who falls flat on their face while trying to act tough?!

To onlookers, her appearance made it seem as if she didn't want anyone to see her crying, wanted to run away, but fell down in her panic.

Damn system! You're ruthless!

Tears were still streaming down her face. Wen Chu supported herself with one hand on the ground and wiped her eyes with the other. Someone was approaching from behind. The next second, she felt a sense of weightlessness. Lu Ming had actually picked her up by the waist.

She looked shocked, but to the man, her eyes were filled with tears, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

Lu Ming's tone was unusually flustered. His Adam's apple bobbed as he asked in a low voice, "Why are you crying like this? I didn't say anything today, did I..."

"Who wants to cry? I didn't want to cry!" Wen Chu angrily defended herself, but her voice was thick with sobs. "Put me down!"

Lu Ming held her firmly in his arms, shielding her from some of the wind, and walked towards his home. "You are my girlfriend now, and I have an obligation to take care of you."

"I don't need it!" Wen Chu was furious. She struggled but couldn't win against him. In her anger, she turned her head and bit his arm.

Lu Ming seemed oblivious to the pain, holding her even tighter. "If you don't want to fall, behave yourself."

Wen Chu's chest heaved, and just as she was about to speak, she heard the system's voice in her mind.

System: "Congratulations, host, for completing the hidden mission: successfully softening the male lead's heart! You have received an SS-level item reward: a memory protection card!"

Wen Chu's struggling expression froze for a moment.

System: "Memory Protection Card: Is there a moment in your memory that you want to cherish and not forget? If so, then protect it well!"

"Applicable to: Male protagonist Lu Ming only. How to use: While having intimate contact with the male protagonist, silently recite the name of the card in your mind and choose any day's memory to protect. This memory will never be erased."

Wen Chu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She slowly calmed down and her expression returned to normal, but she couldn't understand why Lu Ming was still being so soft-hearted after she had just bitten him so hard.

And this damn system is truly a master at using the tactic of slapping someone and then giving them a sweet treat.

As Wen Chu watched herself being carried into Lu Ming's house, she gave up and stopped struggling, and her tears stopped flowing.

Her eyelashes were still wet, sticking together one by one, which looked very pitiful.

Lu Ming looked down at the person in his arms and sighed helplessly.

The servants, unable to see the undercurrents between them from a distance, assumed that the two had fallen deeply in love and confirmed their relationship. They were all overjoyed, thinking that their young master had finally come to his senses.

Ignoring their gossipy gazes, Lu Ming led Wen Chu to the guest bedroom's bathroom before setting her down, his tone unusually gentle: "Go to the bathroom and freshen yourself up first, so you don't catch a cold."

Wen Chu snorted coldly, still not giving him a friendly look.

Lu Ming silently walked out and closed the door. Wen Chu cursed the system while taking off her clothes.

She took a quick hot shower and came out with wet hair. She saw that Lu Ming was still sitting on the bed and hadn't gone out.

Wen Chu's expression was calm, but she was actually not as angry as before.

After all, Lu Ming's tolerance for her today was already unusually high. If she continued to sulk with the system, she would only needlessly ruin his patience and goodwill towards her, which would essentially be asking for trouble for herself.

"Why aren't you leaving yet? Do you really have designs on me?" Wen Chu wanted to make a joke to ease the atmosphere, but she wasn't in a good mood at the moment. Her nonchalant way of saying this made people think she was throwing a tantrum.

The man looked up, his gaze falling on her face, a complex expression on his face: "What's wrong with you today?"

As Wen Chu dried her hair, she casually said, "Nothing much, I'm just really unlucky and in a bad mood. Can't you tell I'm unlucky?"

Lu Ming pursed his lips, offering no words of comfort, but simply asked, "Where do you want to go tomorrow?"

The two sentences seemed abrupt and illogical, but with Wen Chu's exceptionally high emotional and intellectual intelligence, as well as her understanding of this person, she actually grasped the relationship between the two sentences in his mind. It seemed that he wanted to take her out for a walk to clear her mind, dispel bad luck, and improve her mood.

This is such a subtle way of putting it; no wonder he's been single for so many years. What young girl could possibly understand that this guy is actually trying to coax her? She'd think it was just indifference, an extremely perfunctory attitude.

"There are still two and a half hours until tomorrow, and you're only now asking me where we're going tomorrow? Isn't that a bit insincere?"

Lu Ming tilted his head and said irritably, "I sent you a text message at 8:30, but you didn't reply."

"Is 8:30 already early?"

“I’m usually very busy and don’t have much time to check my phone,” Lu Ming said. Then he asked, “So, are you going or not?”

"Do you want to go or not? If you don't, that's fine, I won't force you." Wen Chu dried her hair and looked away, stealing the lines that Lu Ming would usually say.

The person whose lines were stolen remained silent for a moment.

Wen Chu originally thought the other party would say that they wouldn't go, since they didn't want to go anyway. Unexpectedly, the other party was unusually patient today and even offered directions, saying, "The newly built amusement park on Fanxing Road has just opened and is holding a commercial market. It looks very lively and seems pretty good."

Wen Chu paused slightly, somewhat surprised, as she dried her hair. This man had actually done his research; his excellent attitude made her feel a little awkward. Seeing the man looking at her, her gaze flickered, and she couldn't bring herself to say anything more sarcastic: "Well, then let's go. What time?"

"After you wake up and get ready, text me and we'll head straight there."

"Oh." Wen Chu took the towel down and added, "Okay."

us.

This word is truly peculiar, especially coming from the mouth of the person in front of me.

The two fell silent, and the atmosphere became awkward.

Lu Ming stood up after a while and said, "If there's nothing else, I'll go out."

Wen Chu absentmindedly hummed in agreement, walked to the coffee table to pour herself a glass of water, and silently listened to the man behind her walking towards the door.

Just before Lu Ming was about to open the door and leave, she stammered and called out to him again, "You, you wait a moment."

Lu Ming stopped and looked at her.

"Do you remember you still owe me a request?" Wen Chu raised her chin, regaining some of her previous slyness.

Lu Ming's memory is very unstable; he might forget what he promised her in the blink of an eye. Wen Chu learned from her mistake and believed that she should take advantage of any opportunity as soon as possible, otherwise she would suffer a huge loss if he forgot about it.

Lu Ming lowered his eyes, then raised them again, and asked, "What are you going to do?"

Wen Chu took a sip of water and put the cup down: "I said I wouldn't make things difficult for you, so please help me blow-dry my hair."

The servants, unable to see the undercurrents between them from a distance, assumed that the two had fallen deeply in love and confirmed their relationship. They were all overjoyed, thinking that their young master had finally come to his senses.

Ignoring their gossipy gazes, Lu Ming led Wen Chu to the guest bedroom's bathroom before setting her down, his tone unusually gentle: "Go to the bathroom and freshen yourself up first, so you don't catch a cold."

Wen Chu snorted coldly, still not giving him a friendly look.

Lu Ming silently walked out and closed the door. Wen Chu cursed the system while taking off her clothes.

She took a quick hot shower and came out with wet hair. She saw that Lu Ming was still sitting on the bed and hadn't gone out.

Wen Chu's expression was calm, but she was actually not as angry as before.

After all, Lu Ming's tolerance for her today was already unusually high. If she continued to sulk with the system, she would only needlessly ruin his patience and goodwill towards her, which would essentially be asking for trouble for herself.

"Why aren't you leaving yet?" Wen Chu simply wanted to ask what else was going on, but she wasn't in a good mood at the moment. Her nonchalant way of saying this made people think she was still throwing a tantrum.

The man looked up, his gaze falling on her face, a complex expression on his face: "What's wrong with you today?"

As Wen Chu dried her hair, she casually said, "Nothing much, I'm just in a bad mood."

Lu Ming pursed his lips, not directly comforting her, but instead asked, "Where do you want to go tomorrow?"

The conversation seemed abrupt, but thanks to Wen Chu's exceptionally high emotional and intellectual intelligence, as well as her understanding of this person, she actually grasped the relationship between the two sentences in Lu Ming's mind. It seemed that because she said she was in a bad mood, he offered to take her out to play to cheer her up.

This is such a subtle way of putting it; no wonder he's been single for so many years. What young girl could possibly understand that this guy is actually trying to coax her? She'd think it was just indifference, an extremely perfunctory attitude.

"There are still two and a half hours until tomorrow, and you're only now asking me where we're going tomorrow? Isn't that a bit insincere?" Wen Chu said irritably.

I sent you a text message at 8:30, but you didn't reply.

"Is 8:30 already early?"

"I'm very busy today, and I'll be getting off work late." Lu Ming asked again, "So, are you going or not?"

"Do you want to go or not? If you don't, that's fine, I won't force you." Wen Chu dried her hair and looked away, stealing the lines that Lu Ming would usually say.

The person whose lines were stolen remained silent for a moment.

Wen Chu originally thought the other party would say that they wouldn't go, since they didn't want to go anyway. Unexpectedly, the other party was unusually patient today and even offered directions, saying, "The newly built amusement park on Fanxing Road has just opened and is holding a market. It looks very lively and seems pretty good."

Wen Chu paused slightly as she dried her hair, somewhat surprised. This person had actually done their homework; such a good attitude made her feel a little awkward.

Seeing the man looking at her, her gaze flickered, and she couldn't bring herself to say anything more harsh in refusal: "Well, then let's go. What time?"

Since the other person has already chosen the location, watching the sunrise can be used as an excuse for the next date, since there's plenty of time in the future.

"After you wake up and get ready, text me and we'll head straight there. Ideally, before 10 AM."

"Oh." Wen Chu took the towel down and added, "Okay."

us.

This word is truly peculiar, especially coming from the mouth of the person in front of me.

The two fell silent, and the atmosphere became awkward.

Lu Ming stood up after a while and said, "If there's nothing else, I'll go out. You've been busy all day, get some rest. Don't be unable to get up tomorrow."

"What do you mean by 'splashing'?! Do you even know how to use words?" Wen Chu glared at him.

Lu Ming glanced at her and said, "I don't think there's a problem."

Wen Chu glared at him, walked to the coffee table, and poured herself a glass of water.

Just before Lu Ming was about to open the door and leave, she stammered and called out to him again, "You, you wait a moment."

Lu Ming stopped and looked at her.

"Do you remember you still owe me a request?" Wen Chu raised her chin, her expression regaining a bit of her previous smugness.

Lu Ming's memory is very unstable; he might forget what he promised her in the blink of an eye. Wen Chu learned from her mistake and believed that she should take advantage of any opportunity as soon as possible, otherwise she would suffer a huge loss if he forgot about it.

Lu Ming lowered his eyes, then raised them again, and asked, "What are you going to do?"

Wen Chu took a sip of water and put the cup down: "I said I wouldn't make things difficult for you, so please help me blow-dry my hair."

The hairdryer was running quietly. Wen Chu stood in front of the bathroom mirror, and Lu Ming stood beside her, his well-defined hands gently playing with her hair as he carefully dried it.

Wen Chu looked at the man's expression through the mirror. He had his eyes downcast, his expression indifferent, and his lips pursed into a thin line. She couldn't tell what he was thinking at the moment, but he must have been very uncomfortable.

But he wasn't the only one who felt uncomfortable. Wen Chu stood in front of him, seemingly relaxed, but in reality, her whole body was tense, and she didn't dare to move her head much, to the point that her neck was a little sore.

She would occasionally glance up at people stealthily, without any extra expression, but in her heart she was cursing herself for being out of her mind. Why did she make such a request? Why did it feel so awkward?

The other person's palm gently stroked her head, trying to part her hair so it could dry, but it also felt like he was touching her head. She had never done anything so intimate with a man before, and her heart seemed to be beating even faster than when they kissed that night.

Lu Ming's Adam's apple bobbed up and down twice without him noticing, and his fingertips felt hot.

He broke the silence: "How did you come up with those methods to solve those three problems? Jiang Xing is quite capable; even he didn't think of that."

Wen Chu pursed her lips: "Use your brain to think, read more books and newspapers, eat more snacks and sleep more."

"...Can't you use any proper words?" Lu Ming pressed harder on her head.

Wen Chu grunted, "Then can't you just praise me for being good?" At this point, her mood soured again: "How am I not as good as Wen Xue? Am I necessarily worse than her? No matter what I do, I'm worse than her?"

Even though she knew that frequently mentioning the keyword "Wen Xue" would not do her any good—after all, Lu Ming was no different from artificial intelligence; the more you repeated a word, the more it would remember it—she still couldn't help but say it, as if... she was hoping for the best.

She hopes the other person can give her an unexpected answer, and that after spending so much time with her, they can say something she can accept, something nice to hear, something that is on her side.

Despite the slim chances, and despite the high probability that it will only make me angrier.

Lu Ming paused in his hand as he played with her hair, and said without revealing his emotion, "The two of you are not comparable."

Wen Chu scoffed, and as expected, she fell silent.

Her mood had improved somewhat, and she didn't want to rub salt into her bad luck again.

Lu Ming's fingertips moved to the ends of her hair, and he continued to gently blow-dry it with the hairdryer. "You are you, she is she, and you are the one who keeps making comparisons. I've said before that I don't have a penchant for using people as substitutes. I advise you to read less mindless novels. I can also tell you very clearly that I don't like her because she is outstanding, nor will I dislike her because she is not outstanding, and I certainly won't like you just because you are more outstanding than her."

Wen Chu pouted, her feelings somewhat complicated.

She was unhappy, but not so angry anymore. This guy seemed to have pretty good values. She didn't know what to say. She could only blame herself for being stuck with the second female lead role. If she had been stuck with the white moonlight role, she would have finished the game and gone home in two days.

The man paused, his gaze sweeping across her face, and then said, "However, your performance today was indeed quite unexpected, I admit. I have indeed changed my opinion of you, but you'd better not let me find out that you approached me for ulterior motives."

Wen Chu coughed guiltily, "Are you trying to comfort me, or are you warning me? Something doesn't sound right to me."

That's all I wanted to say. How you interpret it is up to you.

Wen Chu removed her hand from her head, suddenly turned around, leaned close to him, and forced him against the wall, giving him another "wall slam."

She stared intently at him, pressing, "Your words sound so noble, but aren't you with me right now? If you like her so much, why are you here blow-drying my hair?"

Lu Ming didn't flinch or dodge. He turned off the hairdryer, wedged it against the wall, and leaned against it, his dark eyes lowered as he looked at her: "Isn't this what you asked for?"

"You can refuse my request. What about your principles?"

Lu Ming smirked: "So you want me to refuse? Fine, I got it."

Why isn't this guy playing by the rules?

"Of course not! I meant, is it possible that you like me a little more now?"

"Impossible."

“…No way we can let it go!” Wen Chu was about to roll her eyes at him, but this guy’s kindness only lasted three seconds before she covered her mouth and sneezed.

She sniffed, her voice nasal as she glared at him, "It's all your fault! You made me stand in the wind outside for so long! If I really catch a cold, it'll all be because of you!"

"..." Lu Ming silently took the blame: "Take some medicine as a precaution."

"You think you're the only one with common sense?"

Lu Ming pushed aside the small figure blocking his way and walked out of the bathroom.

Wen Chu followed him out with a puzzled look in her eyes. She saw him take out a medicine box from the bedside table, quickly make her a cold medicine, and then hand her the cup.

Wen Chu took the cup in a daze, then looked up and sized up the person.

"What kind of look is that?" Lu Ming tilted his head.

Wen Chu couldn't help but narrow her eyes and ask, "Why are you being so kind today? Have you been possessed? You're not planning something on me, are you?"

Lu Ming mimicked her, placing one hand on his waist and squinting at her: "Excuse me, what is it about you that makes me want to hit you?"

“My world isn’t just about love; responsibility and integrity are equally important. What happened at the birthday banquet was my family’s fault, and I can’t argue with that. Since I agreed to be your boyfriend, these are things I should do.”

"Fine, fine, you're always right anyway." Wen Chu rolled her eyes again, disappointed, and then lowered her head to blow on the cup.

Lu Ming remained noncommittal: "Of course, any action needs a driving reason before it can take place."

Wen Chu listened with her head down, shaking her head and repeating his words softly, silently expressing her disgust and disdain.

Seeing the other person's smug gesture, Lu Ming really wanted to reach out and pinch their face, but reason prevailed and he suppressed the impulse, saying irritably, "What other objections do you have?"

"No! You wouldn't change your mind even if I had a problem with it." Wen Chu changed the subject. "By the way, did I bite you too hard just now?"

"What do you think? My flesh isn't any different from anyone else's."

Wen Chu pinched her nose and drank the bitter medicine, then placed the cup on the table and leaned closer to him, saying, "Let me see."

Lu Ming shifted slightly to the side, dodging the woman's hand that reached for his arm. "Will it be alright just by looking?"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Wen Chu pounced on him again, grabbing his arm forcefully. "You say it's your duty as my boyfriend to care about me, so isn't it reasonable for me, as your girlfriend, to care about you too?"

Lu Ming was wearing a black short-sleeved T-shirt. When she rolled up her sleeve, she could see two neat rows of teeth marks with blood seeping out, which looked very painful.

Lu Ming glanced at his wound, then silently turned his gaze to Wen Chu's face.

The woman frowned and muttered, "Is it that serious...?"

Lu Ming clearly saw heartache and apology on the woman's face, but when she looked up, she said, "Look at my teeth, aren't they pretty straight? They're two neat rows."

"..." Lu Ming wanted to roll his eyes in exasperation. He put down his sleeves and said, "Is this what you call concern?"

"Oh dear, my injury is much better than yours on your back. But... why aren't you angry that I treated you like this?"

Lu Ming snorted coldly: "So what if I'm angry? You're not going to bite me back, are you?"

Wen Chu immediately stretched out her fair arms and placed them in front of the person, her eyes curving into slits. "Come on, I just washed up, I smell nice. Or do you want to bite somewhere else?"

Lu Ming, looking suspicious, slapped the woman's arm away from his eyes. "I don't have that fetish. I'm leaving. You go to sleep now, and don't forget, by 10 PM at the latest."

Wen Chu gave an OK sign: "Don't worry, I'll be on time."

"Remember to wash the cup," Lu Ming reminded him before leaving.

"Okay, okay."

After the man left, Wen Chu got out of bed barefoot, washed the cup, and put it back on the table. Then she turned off the light, jumped onto the bed, rolled around, wrapped the blanket around herself, and only her big eyes were visible, shining brightly in the darkness.

Every action needs a reason to drive it, right? Great! One day, I'll make you, this virtual character, fall in love with me! Wen Chu's fighting spirit was reignited.

She was definitely acting strangely today. Everything here is just a setup and data, a challenge she has to overcome. She shouldn't be arguing with people about those things.

What should I wear tomorrow?

She tossed and turned, deciding to forgive the annoying system for now, and asked coldly, "System, help me check how much affection Lu Ming has for me right now."

The system was also very "generous" and immediately responded: "Detecting, please wait."

System: "The male lead's current affection level towards the host is 23%."

System: "Note that you have a total of seven chances to check the male lead's affection level. You have already used two, and you have five chances remaining."

Wen Chu's heart skipped a beat at first, but then she calmed down and muttered, "Stay calm, it's not that high. I've only just passed the first stage."

She has a limited number of times she can check her favorability rating, so she has to use it sparingly.

Thirteen days have passed, and there are only two weeks and two days left. She must seize tomorrow's opportunity! She absolutely cannot afford to have to do it all over again!

On the other side, Lu Ming took a shower, sat back on the bed, and set an alarm for 7:30. This time, he didn't forget to add a note: Go to Star Street.

He put down his phone and prepared to go to sleep, but then thought it wasn't safe enough, so he changed the alarm note to: "Going to Starry Night Amusement Park with Wen Chu."

The man stared at the note with a slightly serious expression for a while, then turned around and booked an appointment with a neurosurgeon.

If Wen Chu's claim in the afternoon that she promised to arrange an office closer to hers was, as always, a self-orchestrated act, which only came about in her anger after he bluntly exposed her, then his claim just now that he had promised her a request—he had no recollection of ever agreeing to that request Wen Chu mentioned.

But even if someone is stupid, they wouldn't use such a clumsy trick twice in one day.

He looked into the other person's eyes, and the way he spoke didn't seem like he was just talking nonsense.

If these two instances weren't the women playing tricks on him or deliberately creating opportunities to spend time with him, then the problem lies with him.

Is he really forgetting what he said?

He closed his eyes, his mind a jumble. In the darkness, he stretched out his left hand, where he could still faintly smell the girl's hair and feel the warmth of her tears.

He couldn't figure out how he felt about Wen Chu, but he was certain that he didn't want to see her cry because of him, feeling so sad and wronged.

Just after midnight, he drifted off to sleep again, filled with a faint sense of anticipation.

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